Hallelujah
by Bronte Raven Night
Summary: Arya and Ayden are separated by the government, for the good of the Varden and the riders. Arya must fight against the odds to try to bring Ayden back to Ellesmera.
1. Prologue

_**Hallelujah**_

_Prologue:_

He sighed as we ran through the song for the millionth time, It may have been my favourite song of all time but it was definitely not his. He reluctantly played the first few chords and we were both drawn into the music. The intro is so long and peaceful, this is maybe what I like about it so much; it isn't in a hurry to get anywhere, unlike me and Ayden. I start to sing about a minute in, and I see his eyes close. The song sounds so peaceful and quiet, but the lyrics show something deeper, an anger of some sort.

We finished the song and our eyes met, he gave me his evil stare and I found it hard not to giggle, he stood up and hugged me;

"Please don't make me play that again Arya" He whispered in my ear. I smiled and we both walked out of our music practice room in silence. I looked into his eyes and saw the unsaid truth, today was his eighteenth birthday. Any other year we would have been cheerful and I would wish him a massive happy birthday. But now every eighteen year old boy must go and see the dragon eggs and see if he has been selected. If he has, which is what he wants more than anything he must go and join the Varden, he may not come back to Ellesmera for many years. Tears spring to my eyes and he hugged me again, I want him to be happy and I have lost too many friends because of wars, we do need a new warrior. I will miss him too much, and who will I play music with; how will I earn my living from busking alone.

He walked towards his house and I was alone.

"Ayden, I love you." I croaked, this was the truth but it is the first time I had let the words escape my lips. He turned around and I saw tears streaming from his eyes.

"I know, I love you too. Remember me Arya." I sat down on a bench and sobbed. My world had left for the dragons.


	2. Chapter 1

_**Hallelujah**_

_Chapter 1:_

Today is my eighteenth birthday; no cards or presents but many people came to visit me and wish me luck. I am a girl and only boys are allowed to see the dragon's eggs and have the opportunity for an egg to choose them. However it is well known in my district that I am going dressed as a boy and I am hoping they won't notice, my name on the records is no problem as I will use my twin brother Tommy's name. Many people have said they will find out eventually and I know this is true, but once a dragon chooses me there is no turning back.

It has been three years since I last saw Ayden and I miss him too much, he has been the most recent rider to be selected and he was also my best friend. Apart from Ayden there is only one more rider; the legendary Eragon Elda, who lives with us in Ellesmera. He was Ayden's mentor but for his training Eragon travelled to the Varden.

I slip on my cloak and hat and mask, it will seem respectful for me to wear a mask in front of the king and I will not be asked to remove it. I pick up Tommy's selection letter and slip silently out of the house. As I reach the palace, I am not nervous at all for my fathers funeral was held here.

I open the doors and enter the grand hall. Sitting on a throne high above me sits the king of our land; EragonI. I walk towards a small table- the type you see at markets and sign in as Tommy. I am taken into another room by a very small man with a long beard, and told to wait for a few minutes. They then led me into a smaller room where 5 boxes were lined up against a wall.

"If an egg glows before your two minutes holding it is up, then you will be selected as a rider" the small man told me. I reached into the first box and pulled out a large red egg, the small man pressed a button on his pocket watch which I guessed was to start the timer. After having no luck with eggs one, two and three. I reached into the fourth box and pulled out a tiny silver egg. After about one minute of the timer the egg glowed and so did I.

"You have been chosen, there is no going back now. You must return to the palace as soon as your egg has hatched" I was told.

"I will return" I said with a grin appearing on my face, Ayden, here I come. "One question, why is my egg so small?" I inquired before I forgot.

"It is no small dragon" He said with a snigger.


	3. Chapter 2

_**Hallelujah**_

_Chapter 2:_

I walked home slowly with the tiny silver egg - no bigger than a chicken egg enclosed in my cupped hands. I walked in the door and told my mother the amazing news. She was frantically trying to put the fire on so we could warm the egg, which seemed very cold to me. Once the fire was lit my mother went and fetched the metal box which she used to hold precious items and placed my egg inside, I liked the sound of that, my egg. My dragon...

After the initial panic my mother and I started to think about suitable dragon names, for girls we thought of; Doe, Ocean and Venus. However for the boys we were very confused, in the end we decided on; Attor, Draco,Uther and Smael.

We waited for hours watching the egg, waiting for it to hatch. My mother and I started taking it in shifts, one watching the egg, the other sleeping on the sofa. The magical egg hatched under my mothers watch, she immediately woke me. And we both stared in amazement at the beautiful little dragon. I picked my dragon up carefully and after I had received the riders mark, which burned my palm I put the dragon back in the metal box and smiled.

My dragon looked like liquid silver and over the next few days we watched it grow up. When it was the length of my forearm it began to talk to me in my head, asking it's name. I started with the boys names listing them every time I got a no, I asked it gently if what sort of name it wanted.

"A prettier one" I nearly laughed out loud when I realised, My dragon was a girl. I hadn't realised, I thought girls got boy dragons and boys got girl dragons.

After about an hour of debating we finally agreed on the perfect name.

She was called Atlanta.


End file.
